My dad has stopped drinking due to health issues, but him and my mum still like to have ‘a glass’ of something. So, they’ve been trying various alcohol-free wines.

So far, they’ve found some reasonable fizzy wine, and some okay white, but the reds all seem to be really sweet and really just ‘grape-juicey’.

So, given that booze-free beer has really come on on the last couple of years, is the same happening with wine, and if so, any recommendations?

Ribena ftw!

Or if you’re celebrating (having just won a grand prix for example)

I know nothing about wine and drink very little of anything myself, but I remember H&M getting some Nosecco in for the wedding and it being rather well received

I’ve no idea if that’s a brand or just a generic term.

I remember H&M getting some Noseco in for the wedding and it being rather well received

Yeah, getting half decent fizzy stuff seems to be fairly easy (I suppose that fact that it’s cold and fizzy helps…)

Red is the really tricky one, it all seems to taste like the helpfully-suggested (*supresses eye-roll*) Vimto/Ribena

My wife tried all the supermarket reds and said they were all terrible unfortunately.

Definitely yes, but I’ve only found decent reds in Australia and not at the £3 end of the market. Still, it is possible.

It does speak to a wider point though in that while alcohol free (AF) is coming on, there’s a way to go yet for the UK. Even Ireland is much better set up with Lidl for example having a much wider array of AF beers than the UK. So, there’s a hope for a good AF red in the UK but I haven’t seen one in the shops yet! The white sparkling is better though (at Aldi) and while still too sweet, it’s nice enough for a glass and to have a “social glass” with those drinking proper wine.

reds all seem to be really sweet and really just ‘grape-juicey’.

Likely for the same reason that alcohol free cider is just apple-juicy. 😁 I know what you mean though, white Shloer was reasonable as I recall but the red was pretty grim. Joking aside, Vimto isn’t a million miles away from being alcohol-free wine.

Not so long ago I got some alcohol-free rum (called “not rum” or “r*m” or similar). Neat it is absolutely filthy, but mixered down with Coke it’s surprisingly drinkable.

I got some alcohol free rum which was on special £10 down from £20 so worth a punt I thought.

It smelt quite good but tasted awful, like watered down cheap rum essence used in cakes. Added to Coke or Lemonade it was better as it tasted like Coke or Lemonade but with the smell of rum.

I suspect the rum essence used in cakes would do much the same but cheaper.